


in the end it's always been you

by telemily



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 14:18:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5007982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telemily/pseuds/telemily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgan Brian seems to have this habit of taking Meghan Klingenberg's entire world and flipping it upside down. </p><p>(Kling hopes she never stops doing it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So I'm not new to fanfiction, but I am new to AO3 and to writing USWNT stuff. O'Solo has always been my OTP, but lately I've been really shipping these two, and there's not much for them out there so I finally decided to write my own. So enjoy! Part two will be up within the next few days.

          She realizes she has it bad for Morgan Brian after one particularly grueling practice in December. They’re sitting together on the bus _(as usual),_ which is about to depart, when Moe lets out a groan because she left something behind _(as usual)._ Kling turns her head to ask her best friend what’s wrong and rolls her eyes when she sees the all too familiar I-can’t-believe-I-forgot-this-thing-but-it’s-totally-not-my-fault look on her face.

         “What is it this time?” she asks in exasperation.

         “My jacket. I left it in the locker room.”

         “Well, have fun. I’ll try to stop the bus from leaving without you. Maybe.” The glare she receives in response to this might be somewhat terrifying if she didn’t see it on an almost daily basis.

         “Actually, you’re going to get it, because this is all your fault.”

         Meghan raises an eyebrow. “And how is that, exactly?”

        “Because I _told_ you before practice to remind me, and you didn’t.” Kling sighs. Now that Moe mentions it, she does sort of remember that conversation. But that doesn’t mean she’s going to go all the way back to the locker room to retrieve the stupid jacket without a fight. _(She knows she’s going to end up getting the jacket anyway.)_

        “Dude, it’s your jacket. No way.”

        And then everything changes in the most cliché of ways imaginable.

        Morgan is staring at her in an effort to weaken her resolve, and though they’ve been in this exact situation before _(many, many times),_ this time something in her brain just… clicks. Because in this moment she realizes that she can never deny Moe anything. She will always give in, because she can’t say no to those eyes. It’s always been true, and she’s tried to push that away, but in reality she has known for a while, probably _(maybe since the month before, when Moe came into her room crying and asking if she could sleep there because Eric had just broken up with her, and Kling felt such an incredible flash of anger that anyone could hurt this girl that much)._ And suddenly it’s all right there, and it’s so clear and so _obvious_ , and her heart is racing and her whole body is heating up and she is sure she’s about to have a panic attack on the bus. And she knows she isn’t completely straight by any means, but this is _Moe_. And that very same Moe is still staring and the rest of the team is watching the scene with amusement and suddenly she just has to get away because it’s _too much_. So she lets out a quick “fine” and runs off to retrieve the god-damned jacket that just possibly ruined her life.

       _(When she gets back to the bus, Moe looks at her with pure satisfaction and gratitude, and she feels butterflies, and she knows she’s totally and completely screwed.)_ ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

       Everything changes again in the locker room a month and a half later.

       Dealing with her new-found feelings for her friend has not been easy for Kling, and she wonders how it’s possible for people to go years like this without confessing or like _exploding_ , because it hasn’t even been two months and she thinks she’s going crazy. She overanalyzes every action she has with Morgan _(which is, like, 75% of her day every single day)_ and she turns into a nervous mess around the midfielder for no reason whatsoever, which is absolutely _ridiculous_ because they’re best friends and it’s _Moe_ , but feelings never make sense anyway.

      Today they’re the last ones there, which is odd because usually it’s someone like Christen or Princess Ali who takes the longest after a game. But it’s just her and Moe, who can’t seem to get it together.

_(Later, Meghan will chalk it up to the universe trying to screw with her.)_

      “I know we won, but it was more _in spite of_ me than _because of_ me,” Morgan groans to her friend as she haphazardly throws her things in a bag. Kling rolls her eyes, because that is totally not true at all.

      “Moe, come on, you played fine. Really. You’re being too hard on yourself.”

       Morgan sighs. “And you’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

      “Absolutely not. Scout’s honor.” Moe chuckles and turns around to grab her stuff.

      And then it happens.

      Morgan turns around to face Kling again, but trips on the cleat that had fallen out of her bag. Before Kling can register what’s happening, Morgan is on top of her, and their faces are only a few inches apart. The whole atmosphere has changed, and it’s like a _damn romantic comedy (cue awkward high school girl tripping on nothing in the hallway and falling directly on top of stereotypical gorgeous football player_ ), and she can’t _breathe_ or think or do anything, because Morgan’s eyes are staring into hers and _oh god she’s going to kiss her_.

      And then, just like the obnoxious friend in that high school movie, Hope Solo is clearing her throat from above them, hands on her hips, with an amused sparkle in her eyes and a mischievous smirk on her lips. Morgan gets off of her as fast as humanly possible, and they both stand awkwardly, unable to look the keeper in the eye.

      “I just came in to tell you that everyone wants to leave… and it’s probably a good thing I did because from the looks of it, you two could have been in here all day.” Hope sounds like she is barely holding back laughter, and they both know they are going to be teased forever, especially by Kelley, who is obviously going to hear about this the second her girlfriend gets back on the bus. Neither says anything, so Hope just chuckles and saunters out of the locker room with a blushing Morgan and Meghan following wordlessly behind her.

      They don’t speak much on the ride back to their hotel, mostly because the only thing going through Kling’s head is _what the hell just happened_. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

      It’s been three weeks since what Kling refers to in her head as “the incident” _(so it isn’t very creative, but it’s not like anyone is going to know anyway)_ and they’ve been flirting nonstop.

      They’re attached at the hip, of course, but that’s nothing new. No, it’s the little things now. It’s the subtle touches, the longer-than-usual hugs, the stolen glances. It’s the way Kling leans in the slightest bit closer to talk to Moe, the way Moe casually drapes an arm over Kling’s chair while she’s in the middle of a conversation with someone else. It’s the new, almost challenging glint in their eyes during their friendly banter that’s somehow different from before, and new tone that seeps through in their harmless insults.

      _(“Oh my god, you are such loser,” Moe says one day when Kling makes a particularly dorky joke. Her voice is laced with so much affection that Kling almost blushes.)_

      The pair thinks they are being subtle. Unsurprisingly, the entire team has known since before the _(intentional)_ flirting even started, and the amount of romantic tension is driving them all crazy. _(“This is ridiculous! They obviously want to be together, so why don’t they just do it already?” Kelley remarks to Alex, who rolls her eyes and reminds her that everyone was saying the same thing about her and Hope for nearly a year before Kelley finally managed to convince the stubborn goalkeeper to give their relationship a chance.)_ But there is no one more frustrated than Kling herself, who is at a loss when it comes to what to do next. She knows she should just come clean about her feelings, but although it’s pretty clear that they’ve gone past “just friends” territory, there is no guarantee that Moe feels anything more than a passing crush or minor attraction towards her. For Kling, though? It’s probably the realest thing she’s ever felt. Because Morgan is her best friend, and she’s just so easy to fall in love with. Which is exactly what she’s done-fallen in love with her best friend, who she would rather stay friends with than run the risk of losing by confessing that she would rather them be more.

     The problem is that every time Moe says something particularly adorable _(which is like all the time),_ she has to fight the overwhelming urge to kiss her, and it’s getting out of hand.

     Qualifiers are over, with the USWNT unsurprisingly coming out on top, and the rest of the team is leaving Houston tomorrow. She’s been rooming with Becky _(the Dash players have been staying at the hotel with the team because it’s way more fun than just being home),_ who got a confession out of her without even trying _(Kling’s never been good at keeping secrets, and Becky is weirdly good at drawing them out stealthily)_ and is now her confidante for all-things-Morgan-Brian.

      “Becky, we _live_ together. What the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t tell her now. What if I’m wrong? That would be, like, majorly awkward.”

      “I think you should just-” Becky is cut off by the sound of the door opening. And who should stroll in but the topic of discussion herself.

      “Oh my god, Kling, you’ll never guess what Kelley just did!”

      “Well, hello, Morgan. Say, have you heard of this new thing folks are doing nowadays? They call it ‘knocking’. You should maybe try it sometime.”  

      Moe just rolls her eyes. “Like you ever knock when you come to my room.”

      “Hey, I’m going to go... talk to Cap about… some things… so, see you later,” Becky says as she begins to exit the room. Morgan waves and walks over to take her spot on Kling’s bed. Becky smirks before opening the door, mouthing “tell her” behind Moe’s back to a frazzled Kling, whose eyes widen in surprise.

      Meanwhile, Moe, oblivious to the silent interaction, continues her story about the prank that Kelley played on Alex and Tobin as the door closes behind the retreating center back. Kling tries to pay attention, she really does, but her mind is not entirely there.

      “And Tobin is like _freaking out_ , and… Are you even listening?”

      “Huh? Yeah. Totally. Sorry, just thinking.”

      “Well that’s new.” Morgan’s gaze softens when she notices the serious expression on her friend’s face. “Hey, are you okay?” Kling nods, not really trusting herself to speak. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” Moe continues sincerely. Kling opens her mouth to respond and she discovers that she was right before, because what comes out is totally not a simple answer to the question asked.

      “Is there something going on between us? Are you actually into me? Because it seems like you’ve been flirting with me and… oh god, did I just say that? Why would I do that? I’m sorry, I just-” Kling stops, seeing the look of shock and possibly horror written on Morgan’s face. She wants to die. Right here, right now. This is not at all how she wanted to start this conversation. She has never seen her best friend look this flustered.

      “I, I don’t… I, um… You… uh,” Moe stutters, her face growing redder by the second. Eventually she gives up on attempting to speak and falls forward to hide her face in Kling’s pillow, letting out a groan of defeat and what Kling is sure is a muffled “yes”.

       She really didn’t think this through. Because _wow_. This is kind of perfect. And yet she still can’t bring herself to respond, because she’s too busy grinning like an idiot.

       The other woman lifts herself back up to face Kling. “I don’t know why, because you are so annoying. And such a dork. An obnoxiously cute, talented dork, and…” At this point Meghan decides that if Morgan is going to insult her even while confessing her feelings, she might as well tease her a little before admitting that the midfielder is all she thinks about.

       “And you just couldn’t resist the Klingenberg charm?” she interrupts with an exaggerated wink.

      “Oh my god,” Morgan groans, putting her face in her hands. “I hate you.”

       Kling decides it’s now or never.

       “I love you.” Moe lifts her head up and looks at Meghan with disbelief and confusion in her eyes, and the older woman takes a deep breath.

       “Moe, I’m crazy about you. I’ve wanted to tell you for months. I’ve just been so scared of ruining things between us if you didn’t feel the same way. But then things changed, and I got confused, and I just didn’t know what to do, until now. Because you’re my _best friend_ , and I love you, but you’re also this beautiful, amazing person and I _love_ you, and I don’t expect you to say it back or anything, I just couldn’t wait any longer, and-” She is cut off by Morgan’s lips pressing against hers, and it’s the most welcome interruption she’s ever had.

      The kiss is soft and gentle and perfect, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world but also the most thrilling. _(Kling isn’t usually the type of girl to go with the whole fireworks thing, but kissing Moe is like the fucking Fourth of July.)_ They pull back and just stare. Kling smiles widely, and Morgan just looks at her adoringly.

      “Of course I love you, Meghan.”


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! This one has a lot of forward jumps in time. Hope you like it! I'm thinking of doing some O'Solo next, but I don't have a lot of free time in the next few weeks, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to write. Comments are much appreciated!

 

           They don’t really talk about going public.

            At first it’s just because they are so new. It’s not like they were strangers before they got together; they knew more about each other than anyone else before they even realized there was anything between them. But even though they feel and act like a couple who has been together forever _(they_ live together, _for God’s sake)_ , they want to take things slow. _(This includes sex- Morgan is a classy Georgia girl at heart, so Kling waits.) (It’s worth it.)_

            Then it’s the Olympics. With all the publicity already surrounding the team, they don’t want to take any attention away from the tournament. They know the press will have a field day with it when they do come out, and they know they’re prepared for it, although they respect the other couples’ decisions to keep their relationship statuses private. _(Ali and Ash don’t want to say anything for sure, even though they’re terrible at hiding it. They aren’t trying, really. Whenever someone asks about Hope and Kelley, Hope just looks at her girlfriend and says, “Move to Seattle,_ then _we’ll talk,” while Kelley grins because of course she has plans.)_ But it would be a distraction, and that’s the last thing they need.

            When they do it, though, it’s spontaneous and perfect and one of the best days of Meghan’s life.

            The whistle is about to blow, and the players on the bench are buzzing with anticipation. They’re up 1-0 against Germany, and unless something crazy happens, they’re about to become the first team to win a World Cup and then an Olympics the next year. Morgan, who had been subbed out in the 65th minute, watches the ball anxiously as it makes its way back towards Becky. She clears it out, and the whistle blows. The crowd erupts. Kling feels invincible as she sprints directly over to her girlfriend.

            “We did it,” she shouts over the noise as Morgan’s arms wrap around her.

            “Yeah,” Moe sighs contentedly. “You were incredible.”

            Kling grins. “You too.” They pull back to see each other, and Morgan looks so proud that Meghan thinks she could burst.

            “I love you so much,” Moe says sincerely. Kling just shakes her head.

            “I really want to kiss you right now.”

            After a few seconds of deliberation, Morgan nods determinately. “So do it.”

            Meghan raises an eyebrow. This is going to change everything, a fact that they are both acutely aware of. But her girlfriend’s conviction is practically radiating off of her, so she does as she’s told.

            Later, Alex will tell them that every eye _(and camera)_ in the stadium fell on them. But when Morgan holds her tight and kisses her with the adrenaline of victory running through their veins, it feels _(because that woman turns her into a sappy moron)_ like they are the only two people in the world.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

            The quiet moments with Moe are her favorite.

            They have their own place now, and everything has started to calm down. The press from the Olympics has quieted significantly, and the NWSL season is over _(the Dash lost in the semis, but progress is progress, right?)._ They finally have some time off after two years of non-stop action, and it’s strange, but welcome. They know they’re going to be coerced into some kind of adventure with some of the national team sometime soon, but for now the couple is enjoying being able to relax.

            Kling loves the mornings when she can wake up next to Morgan knowing that the day is theirs and theirs alone. She loves having the freedom to do anything and the freedom to do nothing if that’s what they decide.

            The best day is one day in the middle of December. Kling is just standing on the porch _(yes, they have a porch- complete with a swing and everything- and it’s very domestic and they love it)_ when she feels Morgan come up behind her, putting an arm around her waist and resting her head on her shoulder.

            “Morning, gorgeous,” Moe whispers into her girlfriend’s ear. Kling hums in relaxed acknowledgment.

            “James called,” Morgan continues. “They want to sell when our lease is up.”

            Meghan sighs. They knew that their landlord didn’t want to rent the house out indefinitely, but they were hoping for another year at least. They didn’t expect to love the house as much as they do.

            “Okay,” Kling replies, the disappointment evident in her voice. There is a pause before Moe continues.

            “That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to leave,” she says quietly. Kling turns around in surprise.

            When you’re a professional athlete, it’s hard to see anything as permanent. Injuries that happen in the blink of an eye can bring an entire career to an end; financial security is constantly fluctuating; trades and opportunities move players across the country and even across the globe. Buying a house is a major commitment, and even though Meghan is approaching her thirtieth birthday within the next year, it isn’t one that she has really thought about.

            But this is about one thing in particular- her relationship with Moe. And Kling is beginning to realize that she had never been more confident about anything.

            Nothing in her life has ever felt as permanent as Morgan Brian. Where they live doesn’t really matter, but this place feels pretty permanent now, too. So if the biggest issue is commitment, then there is no reason to hesitate. Because she’s all in.

            Moe looks nervous and unsure due to the lack of a response, so Kling smiles and kisses her before leaning back into her embrace.

            “Okay,” she says contentedly, and it isn’t a long conversation, but they both know that it’s probably one of the most important ones they’ve ever had.

            They’re all in.

            _(And forever has never felt closer.)_

………………………………………………………………………………………………………           

            The national team has the worst case of wedding fever that she has ever seen.

            Ali and Ashlyn have ( _finally_ ) decided to tie the knot, and everything is perfect. Ash looks stunning in her tux, and Ali, of course, wears a gown fit for a princess. She is absolutely breathtaking. ( _Ashlyn stares all night, but so does everyone else._ )

            As if the overwhelming happiness of the newlyweds isn’t enough, the team’s excitement grows exponentially after learning of another couple’s big news. Everyone’s eyes are immediately drawn to the large, sparkling diamond adorning Hope’s left ring finger as soon as Alex notices it with a gasp and a squeal of “Oh my _god!”_ Carli just smirks ( _of course she found out minutes after it happened)_ , while congratulations fly around the room and Pinoe claps a blushing Kelley on the back, saying, “Damn, O’Hara. Well done.” Morgan unconsciously wraps an arm around Kling’s waist and kisses the top of her head ( _because she just_ had _to wear those ridiculous heels that increase their height difference even further)_ , and Meghan’s heart begins to beat just a little bit faster.

            ( _She secretly kind of loves the height difference sometimes.)_

            Everyone is so busy gushing over the glowing new married couple _(Ali and Ash are too busy staring into each other’s eyes to notice)_ and getting more excited about the idea of yet another wedding _(“What do you think, guys? I’ve been telling my fiancée about how great Hope O’Hara sounds since before we got engaged, but it may take a little convincing,” Kelley jokes, while Hope, who has already been convinced for a while, just rolls her eyes good-naturedly)_ that no one really notices how abnormally silent Kling has been all night. Her mind is too full.

            Because Morgan has been talking to the couples and all their friends with wedding-obsessed heart-eyes, and it’s very distracting. They’ve been together about a year, and it’s way too soon to be thinking about marriage. After all, Moe is a few days short of 24, and Meghan acts even younger most of the time. But seeing her girlfriend this excited about a wedding, even someone else’s, is doing weird things to her stomach, and she can’t help but imagine Morgan as _her_ fiancée, and at _their_ wedding, and the idea of calling Morgan her wife suddenly doesn’t seem scary at all.

            The eerily perceptive and seemingly all-knowing Christie Rampone eventually notices Meghan’s uncharacteristic change in demeanor, and sidles up next to her at her table when no one is paying attention.

            “Weddings are nice, huh?” she asks, testing the waters.

            “Yeah,” Kling says distractedly, watching her girlfriend laugh with JJ across the room. “Really nice.”

            “Marriage is nice, too,” Christie continues, taking her out of her trance in time to see the recently retired captain send her a wink and a knowing smile before heading back to her family. Kling blushes, and resumes staring at Moe, who keeps throwing subtle glances and grins back at her every few seconds, just to show that she’s always on her mind.

            “I bet it is,” she mumbles to herself.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

            She really doesn’t plan on saying it.

            They’re in the middle of a heated make out session in their hotel room after a successful friendly against France _(Morgan scored an incredible goal early on, and Kling was by her side cheering as soon as the ball crossed the line. Kelley scored, too, and ran back to her new wife, whose neon_ O’HARA 1 _gloves stood out brightly on the field.)_ when she blurts it out without thinking.

            She pulls away from Morgan briefly, and the words are out before her brain has time to process them.

            “Marry me,” she says breathlessly. Moe leans back to look at her with surprise, and Kling’s eyes widen with the realization that _holy shit she just asked Morgan to marry her_.

            Her girlfriend looks shocked beyond belief, and Kling tries to somehow fix the situation before things get really awkward. Unfortunately, she’s now having the opposite problem as before, and nothing seems to come out the way she wants it to.

            “I, um. Sorry, I shouldn’t have… I didn’t mean to… Well, not that I didn’t mean it, because I did. I do want to. Marry you, I mean. I, um, shit, Moe, I didn’t prepare for this. I don’t have a ring or anything. You- you don’t have to say yes, I just, well, I really love you, and… yeah.”

            She can’t look Morgan in the eyes because _wow that was awful,_ so she is surprised when she feels soft lips meet hers in a gentle kiss that takes her breath away. When the younger woman pulls away, Kling looks up questioningly to see her smiling widely, pure joy and adoration lighting up her eyes.

            “Yes.”

            _(She knows that she is going to be teased endlessly for this significantly less-than-smooth proposal, but she can’t bring herself to mind, because Moe is looking at her like she’s the sun, and she realizes that having a forever with this girl has always been inevitable.)_


End file.
